At 1826 Restaurant, expect to indulge in intricate dishes.
Sure, some sound ordinary at first: ratatouille, seared scallops, and roast chicken. But here, classics are finished with sea urchin emulsion, caviar, and Alba white truffles. And then after your dinner, you move from the dining room to the upstairs lounge for cocktails and a late-night menu.
In Miami Beach, this mix of fine dining and nightlife is nothing new. But at 1826 Restaurant, which opens tonight on Collins Avenue, you're eating the food of Danny Grant -- a chef who earned two Michelin stars at his former Chicago restaurant, Ria.
See also: Danny Grant, Michelin-Starred Chef, to Open 1826 Restaurant in South Beach
"The restaurant is meant to be a comfortable yet highly elegant dining experience in terms of cuisine and service," says Grant, who was named among Food & Wine's Best New Chefs in 2012. "You can begin your evening with dinner by an award-winning team and continue with cocktails and people watching in the upstairs lounge."
It's certainly a large space. The 8,200 square foot restaurant boasts four different floors.
And within these confines, Grant proffers a menu inspired in part by South Florida. "The Miami environment has been an essential tool in prompting the creativity for my cuisine. I feel lucky that I've been able to enjoy Miami and all of the great seasonal ingredients it has to offer," he says.
Offerings are arranged in three categories: the harvest, the catch, and the hunt. Vegetable dishes include charred and marinated broccoli rabe with farro tabbouleh, chicken cracklings, and fondue ($8) and a white Alba truffle risotto that costs a whopping $90.
Want seafood? Try Grant's lobster dumplings with sweet corn, maitake mushrooms, and brown butter ($12) or his seared Nantucket Bay scallops ($8). There's also dry-aged lamb tartare ($14), foie gras with Armagnac brandy ($18), and duck confit ($12).
You've had plenty of duck before. But at 1826 Restaurant, Grant serves his duck confit with foie gras dumplings and ice wine consommé.
1826 Restaurant opens its doors tonight at 6 p.m. at 1826 Collins Avenue. Call 305-709-0000 for reservations.
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